Demonstrations to highlight the Rafale fighter aircraft deal scam

Aaj Ki Delhi/Yograaj Sharma

· The Congress-led UPA Government were to buy 36 Rafale fighter aircraft for Rs 18,940 crore, but the BJP-led Modi Government changed the Rafale contract to buy 36 aircraft for 7.50 billion Euroes, which means each aircraft would cost Rs 1670.70 crore, and 36 aircraft for a total of Rs 60,145 crore are being bought. It is beyond the comprehension of the common people that how come the cost of 36 Rafale aircraft has increased by Rs 41,205 crore in four years---Ajay Maken. · The Modi Government deliberately did not keep transparency in the Rafale deal as it wanted to help out its rich friend Ambani—Ajay Maken. · Under the leadership of DPCC president Shri Ajay Maken, the Delhi Congress is holding protest demonstrations in all the districts to highlight the Rafale aircraft deal scam, and Shri Ajay Maken attended two demonstrations today at 70 Foota road, Kirari district and Raja Garden Chowk in the Tilak Nagar district. · The Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre had declared the cost of the defence deals in Parliament. Shri Ajay Maken said that when the Congress-led UPA Government could disclose the cost of the defence deals, why the Modi Government is shying away from declaring the cost of the Rafale aircraft deal public.- Ajay Maken · Do not the people of country have the right to know the cost of the Rafale aircraft deal? In the core values of a democracy, it is expected of a democratic government that whatever it does should be transparent. - Ajay Maken NEW DELHI, September 9—Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Shri Ajay Maken today attended demonstrations at the 70 Foota Road, Kirari and Raja Garden chowk, in the Tilak Nagar District at the Congress party’s district-level demonstrations to highlight the Rafale fighter aircraft deal scam committed by the BJP-led Modi Government at the Centre, among the people. Prototype of the Rafale aircrafts were also paraded in these demonstrations. District Presidents Shri Surender Kumar and Shri Pradeep Sharma were also present in their respective area demonstrations. It may be recalled that on 8 September, 2018 the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee held a novel protest at the inner circle in Connaught Place, starting from Palika Bazar, by parading prototypes of the Rafale aircrafts in the accompaniment of a band, to highlight the Rafale aircraft deal scam among the people. Addressing the demonstrators Shri Maken said that the Modi Government was not revealing the commercial price of the aircraft on the plea that there is a secrecy clause which prohibits disclosure of commercial price. Shri Maken said that all these were lies as during the Congress-led UPA Government, the cost of the defence deals were disclosed in Parliament. Shri Maken said that when the Congress-led UPA Government could make public the cost of the defence deals, then why the Modi Government was shying away from making public the cost of Rafale aircraft deal. Shri Maken asked don’t the people of the country have a right to know the cost of the Rafale aircraft? He said that the core value of a democracy is transparency and it is expected of a democratic Government that they would be transparent in their working. Shri Maken said that why is the Modi Government at the Centre running away from holding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe on the Rs 1,71,000 crore scam committed by the BJP-led Modi Government at the Centre and Ambani in the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. Shri Maken said that the Modi Government has compromised the external and internal security of the country by giving the contract for the Rafale deal to Modi’s rich friend Ambani’s company which was registered only 12 days before the Rafale deal contract was signed, instead of giving the maintenance contract to the Public Sector Company Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. Ambani’s company has neither the expertise for manufacturing or maintenance of fighter aircraft. Shri Ajay Maken said that when the Congress-led UPA Government was in power at the Centre, bid for the Rafale aircraft was opened at the global level on 12 December, 2012 under which 36 Rafale aircraft were to be bought at the rate of Rs 526.10 crore per aircraft for a total cost of Rs 18,940 crore. Shri Maken said that the BJP-led Modi Government has now altered the contract to buy 36 Rafale aircraft with each Rafale aircraft costing 7.50 billion Euros, which amounts to Rs 1670.70 crore per aircraft, which means that 36 Rafale aircraft would now cost the country Rs 60,145 crore. Shri Maken said that it is very strange that in four years time, the cost of 36 Rafale aircraft jumped from Rs 18,940 crore in 2012 to Rs 60,145 crore. Shri Maken said that the BJP Government at the Centre should clarify how come the price of 36 Rafale aircraft increased by Rs 41,205 crore in four years. Shri Maken said that the Congress-led UPA Government were to give the maintenance of the Rafale aircraft to Public Sector company Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd but the Modi Government has given the contract to its rich friend Ambani’s company which was registered only 12 days before the contract was awarded. Shri Maken said that the HAL employs thousands of workers and they will be rendered unemployed by not giving the maintenance of the Rafale contract to the Government-owned HAL, as the Modi Government has decided to favour the company of its rich friend Ambani by giving it the maintenance contract.